Why we should expect success : the impact of inducing self-expectancy on academic performance.

Numerous studies have linked an optimistic disposition with highly beneficial outcomes to physical and mental health, as well as increased performance in the workforce and classroom (Seligman, 1998). The present study investigated the role that optimism plays in academic achievement. Participants were induced to be either more optimistic or more pessimistic via a score given to them after taking an optimism test. The score from this optimism test was fabricated to induce optimism or pessimism prior to SAT reading skill tests. The hypotheses were that individuals primed with optimism would perform better on the academic tests than the other conditions, and conversely pessimists would perform worse. Results were not in alignment with either hypothesis. However, correlations approached statistical significance; the more optimistic the individual was, regardless of inducement condition, the better they performed on the academic tests